The Christmas Changeup

3.75 stars--THE CHRISTMAS CHANGEUP is the third instalment in Marie Harte’s contemporary, adult HOPE’S TURN HOLIDAY erotic, Christmas romance series. This is thirty-two year old, real estate agent Piper Mason, and twenty-eight year old MLB catcher Grant Weston’s story line. THE CHRISTMAS CHANGEUP can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. Told from third person perspective THE CHRISTMAS CHANGEUP follows the building romance and relationship between thirty-two year old, real estate agent Piper Mason, and twenty-eight year old MLB catcher Grant Weston. At the age of nine, Grant Weston fell in love with his brother’s best friend’s thirteen year old sister Piper Mason, and vowed they would marry twenty years in the future. Fast forward to present day wherein Grant has returned to his home town of Hope’s Turn for the Christmas holidays, a return in which he plans to woo the woman he has never stopped loving. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Grant and Piper, and the potential fall-out as Grant’s lies by omission may threaten his plans for the woman he loves. Grant Weston has implemented a plan to seduce our story line heroine, a plan that involves family and friends, and a series of little lies that are about to backfire if he doesn’t come clean but as the Christmas holidays approach, Grant reveals his plans for the future, plans that include our storyline heroine. Piper Mason has been burned in the past, and in this, Piper struggles to let go of the heart break and hurt. Grant’s proclamations of love and marriage continue to blindside our story line heroine, proclamations that bring up too many memories from the past. The relationship between Grant and Piper is a brother’s best friend’s sister relationship in which Grant has never forgot about the promise he made to Piper Mason. Grant’s career in baseball isn’t necessarily what he has planned for the future, a future in which he hopes to settle down with the woman he loves. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text. All of the previous story line couples play secondary and supporting characters as well as Piper’s niece Jenna and her boyfriend Simon. THE CHRISTMAS CHANGEUP is a story of family, friendships, promises and love. The premise is engaging and entertaining-the angst level is very low ; the romance is passionate; the characters are energetic, flirty and fun.

Four and a half stars The Christmas Changeup is the third in Marie Harte’s Hope’s Turn Holiday series, and is a brother’s BFF’s sibling story. Piper Mason used to babysit Grant Weston. He was a forthright, slightly quirky list-making kid who loves comic books and who vowed to come back and marry her in twenty years. Grant is all grown up now, and while he’s still rather fond of lists and comics, he’s also a hot professional athlete. He’s also still intent on marrying Piper. He just needs to convince her he’s serious and seriously the one for her. Piper is gun shy (guy shy?) after her ex essentially left her at the altar, and she’s not sold on the idea that Grant actually wants to date her, much less marry her. Plus she used to babysit him! Marie Harte’s story is a warm and fun and funny small-town Christmas romance, full of loving family and a couple determined to find the right way to celebrate the season. A fantastic addition to the series!

Grant is just so cute!! A man that believes in love at first sight and has a grand plan to make it happen, even if it’s 19 years later. But Piper is stubborn and has been recently devastated by being left at the alter so this will not be an easy win for the West Wind. This was just a really fun holiday story with lots of laughs, small town character and love. Perfect to get me in the spirit to start the season with a smile.